


Broken

by ChryceClawenOptimus



Category: Jurassic World Trilogy (Movies)
Genre: Break Up, Claire Dearing-centric, Claire and Owen - Freeform, Clawen, Emotional Baggage, Emotional Hurt, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Everyone Needs A Hug, Hugs, Late Night Conversations, Late at Night, Love, Mental Breakdown, Mother-Daughter Relationship, Pain, Parents Claire Dearing and Owen Grady, Post-JWFK, Pre-JWFK, Romance, Sex, Suicidal Thoughts, Suicide Attempt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-18
Updated: 2021-01-01
Packaged: 2021-03-10 19:08:45
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,270
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28142148
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChryceClawenOptimus/pseuds/ChryceClawenOptimus
Summary: The past always haunted and wounded Owen and Claire.  The damage it could do was severe, and even irreparable. But what Claire Dearing nearly did, could've done more damage to Owen than the past ever could.Since the word count is high, I split it into two chapters. Enjoy!
Relationships: Claire Dearing & Maisie Lockwood, Claire Dearing & Owen Grady, Claire Dearing & Owen Grady & Maisie Lockwood, Claire Dearing/Owen Grady, Owen Grady & Maisie Lockwood
Kudos: 9





	1. Broken - 1st Part

Both Pre-JWFK and Post-JWFK

\--

The month of July 2015. It had been 1 month since Jurassic World fell. But this was the time when something even worse happened. 10th of July 2015.

Claire and Owen had broken out into an argument - they had many in this one month. But this turned out to be the one which did the most irreversible damage.

"You know what? If you wanna live in a damn van and just think I'm some weak damsel, go ahead Owen, I won't stop you. But I'm not some weak fairytale damsel-"

"When did I ever say that you're weak?"

"Oh, please Owen, isn't this what you're doing now?"

"Who was the one who was brave enough to lure the T-Rex out and outran it? It wasn't me, it was you!"

"To f**k with that, I don't care! That island got destroyed, and we can't just forget that! And even if you can, I can't! That defined who I was, and now it's all gone!"

"Claire.." he groaned in frustration, "why are you trying to let those past memories still affect you?!"

"Past?! Oh really please, it was hardly a month ago."

"Claire, come on, you know what I'm talking about."

"Oh, then isn't my bravery when outrunning a T-Rex also in the past?!"

Owen stopped, closed his eyes, and sighed, defeated. Claire knew him so well.

"I knew it."

She stormed off, only for Owen to hold her arm. 

"Claire, just listen for one damn minute-"

"What is there left to say?! Huh?" Owen was taken aback. "What is there left to say Owen?! I caused all of this and there's no way I'm forgetting any of it! I can't go and live in a stupid van trying to forget all that!"

He didn't mind her calling his van stupid. But what hurt him was Claire blaming herself for everything that happened.

"Please, I don't want to be a burden to you. You're the alpha, you want to be in control, I'll happily let you do that. But we can't work together like this."

"Really Claire? If you didn't want to be with me in the first place, why did you come with me?!"

The question startled her, but she replied, "I thought we were sticking together. For survival."

Owen calmed down, as the words from the woman responsible for his life being more than just a raptor man, the woman he had helplessly come to love, the words he had told her himself, passed through his mind.

"Just please.. I don't want to hurt you anymore than I already have."

"I'm perfectly fine Claire.. you didn't do anything! What's it with you and blame games, where you're pinning the blame on yourself?!"

"You weren't in charge of the park. I was. Nothing you say or do can change that-"

Owen wasn't gonna listen longer, and he pinned Claire to the wall, holding her arms, and kissed her. Claire struggled to let go of his grasp, and as his lips went to his neck, she growled, "Let, go of me Owen!"

But it was of no use. Finally, Claire, completely exhausted by the fruitless struggle, stopped. Sensing that she had given up, Owen stopped as well. They were panting from that, but Owen turned his attention to her.

He kissed her again, knowing fully that he wouldn't have another chance. He slowly pulled back, and both just focused on breathing. After a while, Claire said, "Owen.. I don't want to say this.. but we can't do this anymore. Our personalities.. we'll just end up causing damage to each other just because we're both control freaks."

It took Owen hell lot of strength to hold back his tears. He knew what he was gonna end up doing.

"I'm sorry.." Owen said. 

"I'm sorry too.." Claire said. 

Soon, Owen left her. He would probably never see her again. And Claire sure as hell knew what happened to her heart when she saw Owen Grady.

And she needed him. But she had broken them apart.

\--

It was 10th July, 2018. 3 years. 3 years since a part of Claire and Owen died. 3 years of constant pain of separation. 3 years of "I shouldn't have told him to leave," and "I shouldn't have left her." 3 years in which Owen hid his feelings. 3 years where Claire wasn't the same. 3 years filled with unspoken words hanging in the air, voicemails filling in for their absence.

That painful memory flashed through Owen's mind the whole day. Claire could see something was off. But when she asked him in the morning, he shrugged it off, said he was just thinking about the dinosaurs. She had no idea of what was exactly going through his mind.

But his mood persisted. Completely thoughtful, startled at the slightest of words, and only in his element when with Maisie (she was a kid after all). But she observed. Sure thing that Claire Dearing wasn't Owen in terms of mind-reading, but she was matching his powers by now.

At night, after dinner, when Maisie was asleep, she knew what to do. She was the one who formed the best plans after all. Near the fireplace, she was standing and looking at the photo frame with the picture of her and Maisie laughing on Owen's bed back at his home. Damn did it always bring a smile to her face.

Owen was nonchalantly going about, when he saw Claire looking at the picture. Screw everything else, her smile was the thing he had grown to love more than anything and anyone else. She was in her ponytail, wearing that same coat she had at the DPG, and that very white shirt she had worn when they had reunited. Owen couldn't help but tell her before that she looked cute, sexy (and thus beautiful) at the same time.

She turned around to keep it back on the fireplace, when he grabbed her from behind, arms around her, his chin on her shoulder. That feeling never got old for Claire. Especially not the feeling of him kissing her cheek. 

"Hey.." Owen murmured.

"Hey.." Claire murmured back. 

She turned around, and pecked his lips with hers. "Owen?"

"Yeah?"

"I knew you might come.." she said, wanting Owen to come to her some way or the other so she could ask her what was going on, "You haven't been looking good today."

Owen was surprised. "Oh.. uh, you know, just been a month since we nearly got killed by a hybrid." He was trying to put on an assuring face. That all that was weighing on his mind was dinosaur stuff. But then again, Claire knew Owen better than anyone could ever know.

"Owen.." Claire confronted him, "tell me."

He hesitated. But soon enough, the words found their way out.

"It's just.. you know what's the date today, right?"

"10th July, I know, I-"

That's when reality crashed down upon her. What painful memory was really weighing on him. Claire remembered what had happened, three years back. Last time the two of them were face-to-face on a 10th of July.. it had crashed down and led to 3 years of misery and emotional hurt that could've never healed had they not reunited.

"That's what's been on your mind?" She asked worriedly. 

"Yeah," he murmured. There was a brief silence, which Owen broke by saying, "We should sleep though. I know 3 years something not-so-great happened, but hey, I can't sleepwalk," he yawned, my eyes are heavy."

She knew he was trying to lighten up the atmosphere, and wasn't he doing a damn good job trying? She smiled, and they soon went to bed, sharing a kiss before shutting their eyes.

Well, atleast Owen did. Claire could feel guilt and all other painful emotions take over her like never before. The very fact that what she did still haunted the man she had fallen in love with (they both knew that mentally, no need for verbal confessions then), and had unleashed such a catastrophe on the whole world, was something she couldn't bear.

This life with Owen and Maisie seemed like a way to get away from all that. But Claire realised that she would just try to turn around and get back into all of that. Life never seemed okay. Constant nightmares, the news of dinosaur incidents, the stress of the work at the DPG, her fears of what damage she might end up doing to Owen and Maisie, whom she loved more than anyone (and well, Karen and Co.), had reached the breaking point. 


	2. Broken - 2nd Part

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Continued from the 1st part. Set in California at Owen's cabin.
> 
> BTW, Happy New Year 2021!

The next few days went normally. They soon shifted to their cabin, and Claire was pleasantly surprised and loved it there, in the mountains. One sweet little family.

But Claire had merely hid her pain since that day when Owen told her about their argument still haunting him and weighing on his mind. Sure thing the breaking point had been reached; and sometimes she felt nice. But whenever a nightmare struck Owen or Maisie, those feelings resurfaced.

6th August. 4 days after they moved in. Owen had to go out to get some supplies; they'd been running out. Claire bade him bye with a smile and the word itself (bye), and he soon left. 

She sat down on her table, took a sheet and her pen, and jotted down the most painful and heartbreaking words of her life.

Dear Owen,

When you come back, there's no need for you to check any of the rooms and try to find me. I'm tired of this. I don't you and Maisie to suffer from my mistakes. I tried and tried a lot, but it just doesn't work. Life's become a burden; the very thought of living, and experiencing all the pain I put everyone through, including you.

None of this is your fault though. Not a single bit. You saved my life back on that island, and I could never forget that. But I can't live with the memory that I was the one who almost got you killed. This burden is too damn heavy for me. I'm sorry. I feel like a criminal. And you deserve much better than me. You'll find someone who'll replace me. Maisie might feel bad at first, but I know her. She'll get used to living without me.

I know that maybe those three words are too much for me to say.. but that feeling never came to me with anyone as much as with you. You taught me to look beyond my office routines, beyond just being a workaholic, to love others... but something else happened. Love is exactly what happened to me. You may have to grieve, but you have to move on Owen. I know you'll do some hocus-pocus, and you'll find someone worthy and deserving of you. 

I'm sorry. I hope you understand.

Love,

Claire Dearing.

She finally finished. She put it in an envelope, and left it on the dining table. But as she went to leave, Maisie appeared and said, "Claire?"

That girl. Not just Owen, she had fallen in love with Maisie. She seemed as if she was her perfect daughter. Her real daughter. And she was gonna take her life out of guilt, but leave these two loves of her life in grief and pain. No worries, she told herself. Owen will find someone who'll replace me.

"Yeah?" She asked, as all these thoughts passed her quicker than cheetahs caught gazelles.

"Where are you going?"

To end my life and leave you with someone better, she thought. "Oh, I wasn't feeling all too well, so I'm just going out on a walk."

"Oh, okay. You'll be okay, right?"

"Hey.. come on, gimme a hug."

She smiled, and ran towards Claire, and gave her a hug which instantly made her feel like Mom.

"I love you Mom."

Those words brought tears to her eyes. She was shocked. Sure, the 'I-love-you' part was so touching, coming from a child whose life had been hell before, but she called her 'Mom'. Let's be honest, even God never gave an indication that Maisie would use that three-letter word hardly one month since she knew her and Owen.

She didn't feel like doing what she had planned anymore. But she fought back her tears and her emotions which persuaded her to stay.

"I love you too sweetheart."

"You'll be safe, right?"

Come on Maisie, you'll make me cry right now. "I will."

"Pinky promise?"

She laughed to cover her grief, "Pinky promise." Their little fingers interwined, as she did her best (with success) to not give a hint of her pain 

She soon went up the bedroom, leaving Claire alone. She rushed outside, and made her way to a cliff. She knew the place well enough in 4 days to find out what was here. She ran and thus reached there in 10 minutes. If she walked, it would've taken much longer.

She stood there, looking at the rocks below, ready to end her life. She wanted to jump. She wanted to scream that she was a criminal. She wanted to tell Maisie not to look for her, and never to call her Mom again. She wanted Owen to forget this and move on as if nothing ever happened. But how could she? 

She had fallen in love with Owen Grady. She had fallen in love with Maisie Lockwood. Finally, after so many years, she found love and family. And just for her guilt, just to be chivalrous, she was gonna end all that? Could Owen really move on? He couldn't do that when she was alive. Would he really be able to do that once she was dead?

Of course he would, I'll be out of his way, Claire told herself. But I love him. I wouldn't want him to be someone else's. I can't let that happen, whether I'm dead or alive. I love him too much for that. 

She flashed back upon everything and everyone. She was a sister, a daughter.. and a mother and a lover. Guilt had nearly consumed her, but her feelings remained right in place all the time. And hell she loved Owen Grady. Maisie Lockwood. Karen Mitchell. Her family.

She took steps back and turned around to rush back to the cabin. Her love had overruled her guilt. Maybe Owen was right - it wasn't her fault.

\--

She came back. When she opened the door, Owen was sitting on the chair of her table. His head moved slightly at the door opening, but when he saw that it was her, he stood up and walked to her. His face was wet with tears. Maisie had been crying too. Claire felt all the pain rise in her again. But this showed her how much her guilt had hurt them.

"Owen, I-"

"How could you do this?" 

Any words she was prepared to take out disappeared into thin air. 

"Claire?" That could only be Maisie.

She turned to see her 'daughter's' tear-stained face. "You told me that you.." she started sobbing. Claire could barely cling on to her own tears not flowing out.

"Maisie, I'm..I'm sorry.." she pulled her into a hug, trying to find comfort and comfort her 'daughter'. Owen on the other hand, was trying to not let Nevada Falls 2.0. be formed from his eyes. He couldn't believe Claire had hidden her pain and guilt from her. Was he not good enough for her to trust? Had that talk near the fireplace created such a vacuum? Did she think that he wouldn't understand her?

'Mother' and 'daughter' cried until Claire finally brought herself to hold back her tears. She broke the hug, and looked at Maisie. The most adorable little girl ever. The most beautiful woman ever.

"I'm really sorry.." she said again.

Maisie, who had also managed to hold back her tears, said, "It's okay." She sniffed, and the pain in all three pairs of eyes had evidently never been more. Claire got up. There was one more person she needed to talk to.

She nervously bit her lip, turning around to face Owen Grady. The man who had changed her life in every single way. The way she thought of herself. Having blocked everyone since Justin's death, Claire nonchalantly went through the years not expecting anyone to be in her life, until Owen breached her walls and made her realise what love was.

"Maisie, can you just-"

"Yeah," she understood. Maisie was smart enough. Owen's eyes followed her leave, as did Claire's. Then he turned around to face her. 

"Owen-"

"What the heck had you written in that?" His voice would be filled with pain and co-exist with tears for the rest for the talk.

"Owen, it wasn't me.. it.."

"Claire.. if you didn't trust me enough to tell me all this.. what use am I? Is living with me and Maisie such a burden? After all we've been through.. you... how could you think that I could move on if I lost you? How could you?"

Claire couldn't say anything. She wanted to slap herself for thinking that suicide would not hurt Owen and Maisie so badly in their lives. 

"And you said that I deserve better? In all the time when we weren't together, all I wanted to do was prove myself deserving of you! Why do you think I was building this thing? It wasn't my personal one-guy stay... I made it for me and you! I thought that somehow, I could bring you back. And now you just thought that I'll move on and find someone?! I-"

He was interrupted by Claire bursting into tears. He was utterly heartbroken. He tried to pull her close, but she struggled to get out.

"Owen, just, stay away from me!"

"Why?!"

"Cause I.." She gave up, and buried her face on his chest. Owen closed his eyes in pain and put his arms around her. She gradually stopped crying, finding comfort in that touch of his which never got old.

"Cause I... I didn't know how to..tell you everything.."

"Whatever you're talking about?"

"You know, when.. you said that day about what was weighing on your mind, I.."

"Oh, Claire.." Owen realised, and he was moved. His grip on her got stronger and warmer, and she didn't mind a bit. 

"I want to be deserving of you Claire. If this was bothering you, you could always talk to me, you know?"

"Yeah," she sniffed, still wiping some tears off. "I'm sorry."

"Hey, it's all okay.. I should be taking the blame for making you think living was a burden.. I wanted to be enough for you, then and I want to be enough now."

"It's not your fault in any way.. I'm sorry."

"I'm just glad that you're safe. With me."

She smiled, as he pulled her to kiss her. Their warm hug alongside, they pulled apart only after 3 minutes, and even then they were still in their embrace.

"Hey, you hungry?" He asked.

"Um.. yeah," She replied.

"I can get down to making pasta, got some from the store," Owen said.

"I'd love that," Claire replied. 

They went for dinner and soon they exchanged jokes at the dinner table, leaving Claire's mood on Cloud Nine. After dinner, with Maisie asleep, Owen kissed Claire pulling her close in the bedroom.

"You know, I have an idea," Owen said.

"I think you do," Claire seductively replied.

Taking off their clothes, they spent the night in sex before still being in their embrace during sleep.


End file.
